Unfairly reviled, and much misunderstood, private equity differs from all other asset classes in various important respects, not least the way in which its fund mechanisms operate, and the way in which its returns are recorded and analysed. Sadly, high level asset allocation decisions are frequently made on the basis of prejudice and misinformation, rather than a proper appreciation of the facts. Guy Fraser-Sampson draws upon more than twenty years of experience of the private equity industry to provide a practical guide to mastering the intricacies of this highly specialist asset class. Aimed equally at investors, professionals and business school students, it starts with such fundamental questions as ’what is private equity?’ and progresses to detailed consideration of different types of private equity activity such as venture capital and buyout. Rapid and significant changes in the environment during the recent financial crisis have prompted the need for a new edition. Separate chapters have been added on growth and development capital, as well as secondary investing. Newly emergent issues are considered, such as lengthening holding periods and the possible threat of declining returns. Particular problems, such as the need to distinguish between private equity and hedge funds, are addressed. The glossary has also been expanded. In short, readers will find that this new edition takes their understanding of the asset class to new heights. Key points include: A glossary of private equity terms Venture capital Buyout Growth capital Development capital Secondary investing Understanding private equity returns Analysing funds and returns How to plan a fund investment programme Detailed discussion of industry performance figures

The genteel façade of London's Hampstead is shattered by a series of terrifying murders, and the ensuing police hunt is threatened by internal politics, and a burgeoning love triangle within the investigative team. Pressurized by senior officers desperate for a result, a new initiative is clearly needed, but what? Intellectual analysis and police procedure vie with the gut instinct of "copper's nose," and help appears to offer itself from a very unlikely source a famous fictional detective. A psychological profile of the murderer allows the police to narrow down their search, but will Scotland Yard lose patience with the team before they can crack the case? This is an intelligent, quirky, and mannered crime drama, above which hovers Hampstead, a magical village evoking the elegance of an earlier time, and the spirit of mystery-solving detectives.

Superintendent Henry Jarrett thinks he has encountered murder in all its forms, but gory human sacrifice is horribly new. Is there a madman loose in Victorian Glasgow, as Jarrett, Inspector Grant and Sergeant Quinn believe? The victims are randomly chosen, the killings unpredictable and thus unsolvable. Then, a murder at a travelling fair - which bears no resemblance to the others - and the little matter of the valuable artefacts, increases Jarrett's confusion. It seems the time is right for him to tie the knot with his beloved Elsie Maitland and retire to the seaside - before his chief constable demands his resignation.

The murder of a customs officer is followed by a number of other homicides, yet apart from the mode of their deaths there is little to connect the victims. As if a multiple murderer isn't enough, Superintendent Jarrett, Inspector Grant, and Sergeant Quinn of the Detective Department at Glasgow Central must contend with upper-class thieves who are targeting jeweler shops and an acquisitive archaeologist with a taste for the high life. But are these all really separate issues, or is there a common link waiting to be discovered? The trio of sleuths must also discover why a seemingly worthless lump of stone is attracting the attention of ruthless men who will stop at nothing to locate the hiding place of Jupiter's Gold?

1863. The Detective Department of Glasgow Central is short of funds and undermanned, yet Superintendent Jarrett, Inspector Grant and Sergeant Quinn are expected to run to ground a murderer, a vengeful madman and a pornographer and to do so without inconveniencing or implicating certain prominent citizens.

1863. Superintendent Henry Jarrett, formerly of the Hong Kong police and now Chief of the Detective Department at Glasgow Central, is comfortably ensconced in Elsie Maitland's superior guest house for single gentlemen. Unfortunately, this tranquility is short-lived and problems start to come thick and fast.

A series of ugly killings has shattered the orderly workings of the Hampstead police station. And truth be told, they have shattered the confidence of the lead investigator on the case, who has long taken pride in his old-school "copper's nose." When yet another body turns up, he's forced to give way to a new chief with fancy new detecting techniques. But when those, too, prove unequal to the task, the police are stymied. So they reach back to the past, invoking the skills of one of the great Gentleman Sleuths. Is this nutty? No doubt. But Lord Peter Wimsey always got his man. In what has been called a "love letter to the traditional mystery novel," Fraser-Sampson brings the Golden Age of Detective Fiction back to glorious life. It's a bit scuffed, perhaps, by its mashup with the 21st century, but even the baddest of contemporary bad guys must quake before the might of a witty epigram.

No Fear Finance is an accessible guide to the essentials of the finance and investment sectors for individuals who may be approaching the subject for the first time, or who are coming to it from a non-finance background. Covering the fundamentals of finance - including an overview of business finance, the basics of accountancy, financial risk and investment vehicles - the book removes much of the fear experienced by many people when confronted with complex financial issues, and enables them to gain a clear understanding of the basic principles of finance, to which more complicated financial models can then be applied.

The investment landscape has changed dramatically over the last few years, destroying many of the old certainties by which investors lived their lives. In particular, it has shaken belief in the ability of traditional asset types such as bonds and equities to protect them from abnormal market conditions, and it has brought home how closely correlation between different markets can be squeezed together by extreme pressure. Future investors will have to regard so-called "alternative" assets as essential elements within their portfolios, and be prepared to deal with the complexities that this will entail. This will in turn force a re-appraisal of core concepts such as "risk" and "return", not least because some alternative asset classes do not lend themselves well to traditional return measures. Exciting times lie ahead, but a thorough working knowledge of the various alternative asset classes will be an essential pre-requisite to success, and perhaps even to survival. Alternative Assets meets investor's need for a guide on where to allocate in this new climate. It provides investors with a primer on each alternative asset class, as well as practical tips on the pros and cons, implementation, returns analysis, fees and costs. It also offers introductory guidance on how to set investment targets, and how alternative assets can be accommodated within the allocation process. Each chapter gives useful background knowledge on a particular asset type, including a discussion of whether a satisfactory beta return level exists and, if so, the different ways in which it might be accessed. Written by best-selling author Guy Fraser-Sampson, this book guides investors through the new look alternative investment arena, providing post-financial crisis perspective and investment advice on the alternatives landscape.

Jim Carver: a tough, resolute war veteran, he returns from the trenches to build a better life for his family to find his wife dead. Archie Carver: Jim's eldest son, smart, ruthless, he has a quick eye for financial profits and beautiful women. Elaine Frith: beautiful and ambitious, she uses her charms to snare any man she thinks will bring her wealth. The First World War ends and the soldiers return to the peaceful Avenue. On the surface their homes look just the same, but behind the carefully tended front gardens everything has changed, and their families' lives in the next twenty years will be as turbulent as any they have known.

This story involves natives of High Glen, or those that have come to love the area. An unsolved mystery plagues some of its people along with a claim of inheritance by others. Some have ties to Scotland and this is depicted through out the story. High Glen, NC may have the flavor of a Norman Rockwell painting, but things aren’t always as they seem. An old scrapbook containing letters from the past unveil the mystery that has shrouded Maxwell Hall for years. LOST AND FOUND A 20 year old newspaper article resurfaces about a child gone missing and stirs a hornet’s nest of controversy. A controversy destined to be investigated by a Savannah, GA newspaper columnist. LOST AND FOUND Family secrets, deceit from the unsuspecting, newfound romance and more in this intriguing tale reminds us that all is not lost, but sometimes they are......... This story involves natives of High Glen, or those that have come to love the area. An unsolved mystery plagues some of its people along with a claim of inheritance by others. Some have ties to Scotland and this is depicted through out the story. High Glen, NC may have the flavor of a Norman Rockwell painting, but things aren’t always as they seem. An old scrapbook containing letters from the past unveil the mystery that has shrouded Maxwell Hall for years. LOST AND FOUND A 20 year old newspaper article resurfaces about a child gone missing and stirs a hornet’s nest of controversy. A controversy destined to be investigated by a Savannah, GA newspaper columnist. LOST AND FOUND Family secrets, deceit from the unsuspecting, newfound romance and more in this intriguing tale reminds us that all is not lost, but sometimes they are......... LOST AND FOUND

A failed marriage between Melissa Elmett and Will Hyde did a lot of damage. She was too young, he was hurt when she left him. Years later, Melissa becomes the target for a kidnap plot, a consequence of her father’s ground-breaking energy-saving invention, and Will is the only man who can protect her. Now they’re on the run, thrown together again by the pursuit of vengeance, will their passion for each other reignite?